The people who keep Reading running: a week of thanks to Public Works
From tree canopies to storm drains, from playgrounds to spreadsheets - eight divisions, one team.
(3-minute read)
Every morning in Reading, roads are clear, parks are tended, trees are trimmed, and drains are flowing. It doesn’t happen by accident. National Public Works Week is a moment to pause and recognize the men and women who make that reliability possible every single day.
Over the past five days, the Town spotlighted each of its DPW divisions, from the crews that manage drinking water and sewer systems to the planners and administrators who work behind the scenes. Below is a continuation of the Town’s spotlight series.
Keeping Reading green: Cemetery, Parks & Forestry
The spaces where community life unfolds - playgrounds, athletic fields, shaded streets, and quiet cemetery grounds - are maintained by three divisions working in close coordination. The Forestry team manages and preserves the town’s tree canopy. The Parks staff maintains recreational spaces, school grounds, municipal properties, and 10 playgrounds. And the Cemetery Division maintains peaceful, respectful grounds that honor loved ones and serve as places of reflection for families across the community.
These teams rarely seek recognition, but their work is felt everywhere. Whether you’re attending a Little League game, walking under a canopy of well-maintained trees, or finding solace in a quiet corner of a local cemetery, you’re experiencing the results of their daily care.
Images by the Town of Reading.
Images by the Town of Reading.
Keeping Reading moving: Highway, Stormwater & Vehicle Maintenance
Infrastructure is only invisible when it’s working. The Highway team maintains roads, sidewalks, and public ways year-round, from summer pothole repairs to full snow-and-ice operations in winter, ensuring safe passage for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians in every season. The Stormwater team maintains the drains, culverts, and drainage systems that prevent flooding and protect local waterways during heavy rain events. And behind the scenes, Vehicle Maintenance staff keep the town’s fleet of more than 200 vehicles and pieces of equipment running safely and reliably, especially when emergencies demand it most.
Together, these three divisions form the operational backbone of the town - the team you count on without realizing it, and the first ones called when conditions get difficult.
Images by the Town of Reading.
Images by the Town of Reading.
Keeping Reading coordinated: Administration & Engineering
Images by the Town of Reading.
No field crew operates without a plan, and no plan executes itself. The Administrative team handles the full range of behind-the-scenes work: resident requests, service coordination, budgeting, procurement, communications, project tracking, and coordination without solid waste haulers and disposal firms. They are often the first voice a resident hears when something needs attention. The Engineering Division supports long-term planning and infrastructure improvement, helping design and oversee projects that strengthen Reading’s roads, sidewalks, water and sewer systems, drainage infrastructure, and other public assets for years to come.
These are the teams that tie all the others together, ensuring the right resources reach the right places and that today’s work lays the groundwork for tomorrow’s.
